In May 2006, another step in the history of the art market was achieved when Christie’s held its first auction of International Modern & Contemporary Art in the Middle East, in Dubai. Since then, Christie’s has gone on to sell over US$200 million worth of art in Dubai and firmly established itself as the leading auction house in the region. As a growing sign of maturity for Modern and Contemporary Arab, Iranian and Turkish Art, Christie’s Dubai introduced a Part I and Part II sales spread over two consecutive days in October 2011, which is the sale format followed by Christie’s international salerooms. The Dubai auctions continue to act as a major catalyst in the development of the art market in the Middle East.

Since 2006 Christie’s has raised over $20 million for good causes in the region with these funds going to support educational and social initiatives as well as local artists across the Middle East diaspora.